Ironside (TV Series) Death by the Numbers (1972) User Reviews

Another crusty character

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 20 November 2013]

The Ironside squad takes on a case of serial murder in this episode. It seems that someone is murdering any and all including parole board members who had something to do with the release of a notorious drug dealer. The squad has a unique qualification for the job.

One of the members of the board, one Carlton Duffy who is a crusty character with a a full blond head of hair and a beard bears a curious resemblance to the Chief. So the two change places under duress from Duffy. Chief Ironside moves into Duffy's mountain cabin and Don Mitchell has to take care of Duffy who makes Ironside look like a pussy cat.

I did enjoy Raymond Burr playing both Ironside and an Ironside exponential type character. I think everyone else will too.

Burr gets a chance to stretch

[bribabylk · 6/10 · 3 December 2014]

Slight change of pace for IRONSIDE as the Chief has to go undercover, and Raymond Burr plays a dual role with the kind of special effects used in THE PATTY DUKE SHOW and THE PARENT TRAP.

I bet this was a fun one for Burr; he certainly seemed to be enjoying cocking his leg up on furniture as the Duffy character, something Burr had at this point been prohibited from doing for several years because of Chief Ironside not having any feeling in his own legs. I thought Burr was pretty good as Duffy, but I thought the Chief didn't do a very good job of impersonating Duffy, which, since Chief Ironside isn't supposed to be a professional actor, may have been really good acting from Burr. Hurting the credibility of the impersonation is that the Duffy character clearly has a degree of albinism, yet nothing's done to lighten Chief Ironside's skin tone whilst he's playing at being Duffy. So it doesn't make sense that the William Katt character, who is on fairly familiar terms with Duffy, should buy into the charade for as long as he does.

This is another one of those episodes in which the Chief is able to outmaneuver a murderous automobile through fancy wheelchair rolling.

Two Raymond Burrs = Twice the Fun

[amorehl · 10/10 · 30 June 2023]

I have to admit I was always fascinated by Patty Duke's dual role on her eponymous show. So this episode had a lot of appeal. And added to that was watching Raymond Burr walking around - one gets so used to seeing him in a wheelchair that it is slightly disorienting to see him walk, even as a different character.

I agree with the reviewer who thought Burr was pretty good as Duffy with his slight Irish accent, and it had to have been intentional that when Burr was 'playing Ironside playing Duffy', that persona/accent basically went away. That distinction by Burr is impressive; I would think the natural tendency would be to play the Duffy character the same way throughout.

As for the underlying plot, Ed points out to Fran that the penalty for paroling the wrong criminal isn't death. That's true, but sometimes it seems like there ought to be some consequence. I suppose their only consequence is their own conscience.

Still, the bottom line on this show is that after so many of the heavy, angsty, Vietnam-era episodes, this one was just great fun to watch.

Two Raymond Burr's for the price of one!

[TopekaBob · 10/10 · 12 February 2022]

If you just (maybe irrationally) love Raymond Burr, like I do, then everything he does is simply a treat, from Perry Mason to Ironside to all the TV movies here and there. If you don't, this isn't the episode for you, and if you like Ironside for the police work, it's a bit silly. But getting to see Ironside/Burr "walk" as the painter Karlton Duffy and chew the scenery and piss Mark Sanger off, it's all delightful.

William Katt appears in this, Della Street's son (I mean Barbara Hale), but the real treat is Michael Fox as, what else, the Doctor! Of course the appeared time after time on Perry Mason as the Doctor or Medical Examiner or whatever, and even showed up on a Columbo as a vet! Someday, in an alternate universe, I'm going to go to my Doctor's appointment and Michael Fox will walk in.

Raymond Burr plays Carlton Duffy (uncredited)

[david-3203 · 5/10 · 17 January 2007]

Carlton Duffy is credited at the end as playing himself but it is obviously Burr is a dodgy grey wig, dodgy grey beard and dodgy Irish accent.

The give-away is the extended vowels and deep voice - pure Raymond Burr.

It is not a credit to his acting ability.

In the story, Ironside then impersonates Duffy to decoy a murderer - not a great stretch!

Of course the special effects guys get to put them in the same room together;

• that is the most impressive bit of the whole operation